Cam Jurgens has big shoes to fill after Jason Kelce’s retirement: ‘I’m just trying to be me’

Cam Jurgens has a new challenge ahead of him this season and, in turn, a new home base in the Eagles’ locker room at the NovaCare Complex.

The 24-year-old offensive lineman arrived for the start of the offseason program Monday and learned he had been assigned Jason Kelce’s former stall. The relics that the veteran center accumulated (and accumulated, and accumulated) throughout 13 seasons with the Eagles were replaced by Jurgens’ belongings. His new stall is just one spot over from his previous one, but Jurgens said his new digs are still a bit unfamiliar.

“I went to the wrong locker a couple times,” Jurgens said on Wednesday. “I’m like, ‘Oh, man. This isn’t mine anymore.’”

Jurgens has big shoes to fill — and a big stall to fill, too — as Kelce’s prospective replacement at center. Since the Eagles selected Jurgens in the second round, No. 51 overall in the 2022 draft out of Nebraska, he has been billed as the heir apparent to Kelce. The Beatrice, Neb., native started at center for three years in college and displayed similar athletic traits as Kelce did throughout his Eagles career.

Now, after Jurgens served in a depth role in his rookie season and earned the starting right guard job in his second, he has an opportunity to fill the vacancy left by Kelce after his retirement in March. Still, Jurgens isn’t trying to be anyone else but himself as the offensive line transitions to life after Kelce.

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“I’m not trying to be somebody’s replacement or somebody’s next person,” Jurgens said. “I’m just trying to be myself. Can I be the best football player I can be in wherever position they put me? That’s what I’m going to do.

“I think when you start putting it in those perspectives and those terms and people like to compare, and then you put different things on your shoulders that you need to carry. Really, it’s like, what can I do today? What can I do to learn? What can I do to get better? And how can I be the best football player I can be? And not, how can I be what he was?”

The walk to his new stall may be unfamiliar to Jurgens, but the responsibilities of the center position are not. Throughout his college career, Jurgens learned the ins and outs of setting protections and blitz pickups, which were responsibilities formerly held by Kelce. Jurgens said there are some similarities between the approaches he was taught at Nebraska and with the Eagles, so he said he feels comfortable handling that aspect of the job.

He also isn’t concerned about developing chemistry with quarterback Jalen Hurts.

“I mean, if the snap’s good, he’s catching it,” Jurgens said bluntly. “Shouldn’t be too much of a transition.”

But Jurgens isn’t walking into this opportunity alone. He said he has “constant support” from Kelce and Jeff Stoutland, the Eagles’ offensive line coach for the last 11 seasons. Their message to him now as he eyes the starting center role hasn’t changed since he was a rookie, encouraging him to take a day-by-day mentality as he works toward self-improvement.

Jurgens also had the benefit of learning from Kelce for the past two seasons while starting alongside him for one. His impact on his teammates, according to Jurgens, transcended his performance on the football field.

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“Just in general, how he carried himself,” Jurgens said. “How you can go about your day and how to work out, how to take care of your body and how to juggle so many different things. That man had a lot of stuff going on. It was impressive to see how he could juggle and manage his time and still be there for his teammates, be the ultimate teammate and captain for us.”

While Jurgens is getting used to his new stall, his old one isn’t sitting vacant. Second-year offensive lineman Tyler Steen has moved in next door, which suggests that he could have the edge in the competition for the starting right guard job in training camp. The starters on the offensive line typically sit next to each other in the back corner of the locker room.

Steen, the Eagles’ third-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Alabama, served in a depth role at right guard during his rookie season. But when Jurgens dealt with injuries throughout the season, the Eagles primarily turned to backup Sua Opeta over Steen to replace him. The rookie earned one start at right guard while Opeta had five (six total, including a start at left guard).

The Eagles are just three days into the offseason program and training camp is still months away, so Jurgens and his teammates aren’t looking too far ahead to the season and the depth chart. Regardless, Jurgens said that Steen knows he can come to him for help whenever.

“We have a really good O-line room in that fact that everybody’s willing to help and nobody’s too big,” Jurgens said. “It’s fun being in that room because nobody’s afraid to ask for help and nobody’s too big to give it. It’s fun being in a selfless room. We’ve got a lot of really good dudes in there.”

Whether Steen, a rookie, or someone else starts alongside him at right guard, Jurgens now has the opportunity to be a mentor in his own unique way given his familiarity with the position. New position and locker-room stall aside, Jurgens manages to keep his career to this point in perspective.

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“There’s a sense of excitement that I’m here playing football with these guys and under these coaches,” Jurgens said. “I don’t think it matters where I’m at. I’m just glad I’m on this team.

“I’m pretty fired up to be playing a sport for my job. That’s pretty awesome.”